Weather takes a little sparkle off Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond increased sales 12% in 2012 to £59m, thanks to acquisitions. The growth looks set to continue despite the weather pegging profits back to £3m. See more... Read more - members only

EU to ban use of Neonicotinoids

The sale of neonicotinoid pesticides to amateur gardeners is likely to be banned from July, following EU vote. See more… Read more - members only

HTA calls for ban on imports of sweet chestnut trees

The HTA is advocating a ban on the import of sweet chestnut trees into Britain in a bid to control the spread of a fungal disease. See more... Read more - members only

Sheeplands fears closure if appeal fails

Rob Scott, owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands fears that his dispute with Wokingham Borough Council could close the business. See more... Read more - members only

Paris Natar buys Smart Solar

Gardman’s founder, Paris Natar, who sold the business 5 years ago has returned with the purchase of a majority stake in solar lighting specialist Smart Solar. See more... Read more - members only

Marshalls sell non-core quarries

Landscape stone and paving specialist, Marshalls, has agreed to sell four, non-core quarries to Breedon Aggregates for a minimum of £17.5m. See more... Read more - members only

Tim Stainton leaves Gardman

Gardman has announced that UK managing director, Tim Stainton, has left the business. The news follows the recent departure of group chief executive, Mark Pearson. See more… Read more - members only

Defra says risk from neonicotinoids is low

Latest field research from Defra on use of neonicotinoids says risk to bees is low. Despite this, Friends of the Earth today continues to urge gardeners to avoid chemicals linked to bee decline. See more... Read more - members only

Stagecraft back in business

Stagecraft Display Ltd is continuing in business following a fire that gutted their factory. See more... Read more - members only

Waitrose aims to become a serious player in gardening

Waitrose has unveiled plans to significantly increase its 6% share of the garden market. Waitrose Flower Garden will feature in every store, backed by Waitrosegarden.com, facilitated by Crocus. See more… Read more - members only

Bord na Móna seeks to reassure on peat supplies

Steve Harper assures customers that Bord na Móna will meet customer requirements for peat, both for quality and quantity, despite the harvest being less than half the target. See more... Read more - members only

Expansion starts at Highfield Garden World

Highfield Garden World has started its expansion that will cost £2.2m and should build turnover to £6.5m. See more... Read more - members only

OATA fights to stop barley straw ban

OATA says the EU regulation due this autumn that will ban the sale of barley straw for controlling algae in ponds is ‘frankly bonkers’. It is urging garden centres to write to their MP. See more... Read more - members only

Visual theatre promised at Redfields

Alan Roper promises something not seen before when Blue Diamond opens the new eating facilities at Redfields garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

Sale of Highway Garden & Leisure imminent

The sale of Highway Garden & Leisure should be completed next week. It is to be bought by Roys of Wroxham. See more Read more - members only

Creative Gardens to build new garden centre

Creative Gardens, a family business in Northern Ireland, is to build a new £2m garden centre at Ballymena. This will be the company's third. See more... Read more - members only

Rush to raise profile of Sinclair brands

The new Ellesmere Port facility is what attracted new CEO Peter Rush to the top job at Sinclair. It gives the capacity to grow profitable sales and grow shareholder value. See more... Read more - members only

Which? Gardening members name their favourite flowers

The May edition of Which? Gardening surveys 3500 and asks what are their favourite flowers. While some of the results were predictable others are more interesting. See more... Read more - members only

Patience rewards St John's Garden Centre

St John's Garden Centre in Barnstaple has been granted planning permission to build and relocate to a new garden centre. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies unveils its re-vamped Edinburgh flagship this weekend

Dobbies has spent £1.5m on a new wooden shopping village at its Edinburgh / Lasswade store. It holds its official opening on April 19th. See more… Read more - members only

Sinclair optimistic despite delayed start to season

William Sinclair’s new chief executive, Peter Rush, says the exceptionally cold weather over the last month has resulted in a delay to the start of the important spring selling season. See more… Read more - members only

La Hacienda helps garden centres to compete with web retailers

La Hacienda is to introduce a direct dispatch service so that garden centres can sell the company’s full range without increasing stock levels. See more… Read more - members only

Westland move TV ads in industry first

Westland has negotiated a garden industry first in TV advertising by delaying the start of its lawn campaign due to the prolonged wintry weather. See more... Read more - members only

Dobbies fined £75,000 in Carlisle

Dobbies Garden Centres has been fined £75,000 having admitted polluting a river with poorly treated sewage from its new garden centre in Carlisle. See more… Read more - members only

Millbrook acquires third site

Millbrook, the family-run, independent company that owns two garden centres in Crowborough, Sussex and Gravesend in Kent, has acquired Highgrove Garden Centre. See more… Read more - members only

Whiteleys sold to private investor

Whiteleys Garden Centre has been sold having been placed in the hands of administrators in December. See more... Read more - members only

Acquisition extends Bell Brothers into bulbs

Bell Brothers Nurseries has expanded the range of products it sells with the purchase of the bulb supplier Alex Euro Trading. It is also changing its name. See more… Read more - members only

Waitrose hires Titchmarsh and opens test garden centre

Waitrose has opened a test garden centre in Newbury and hired the services of Alan Titchmarsh. Gardenforum believes more garden centres will pop-up this season. See more… Read more - members only

Thought provoking quotes from Catering 2013

The trend towards ambient food is especially attractive to the younger consumer. People want to know where food comes from, that it is good for them and the environment. You can make money out of restaurants but... For some notable quotes from Catering 2013, see more... Read more - members only

Bayer CropScience strongly disagrees with proposal by EU Commission

Bayer Garden says it regrets the European Commission’s draconian proposals re neonicotinoid products. A number of retailers have withdrawn products that contain forms of the chemical that are suspected of being harmful to bees. See more… Read more - members only

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